The Press., 1887-06-09
THR a0sPEI. 0F AssassInarInN.

| 45s -AH8M0SAMA K At a time when tho London Times sub- stantially accuses Mr. Parneu of approv- ing tho assassination of Mr Burke in Dub lin, and when pr. McGlynn in New York says.
 Without discussing whether in moral cas- uistry # Is lawful to kill the czar, still must acknowledge the grand and noble character of the men who think it their duty to do their
 best to kill him. These heroic men feel that they are doing the noblest and holiest thing they conld do for their country in trying to
 kill the czar,"
 It is time to consider whether doctrine so repugnant as assassination to English
 and American ideas of liberty and of poll.
 tics is really growing in favor. It would
 hardly seem to be 80 in England, at least,
 for the very object of the Time's publica- tion of the letter, which we do not doubt to. be a forgery, was to blacken Mir. Par
 nell's character as a man and to destroy
 him as a political leader. This, however
 would be impossible if the least ,counte-
 nance of assassination as a political weap-
 on were tolerable to the mind of the Eng
 liNh people. In this country the applause
 that greeted Dr. McGynn's speech, we
 venture to say did not proceed from Amer
 icans. It was the same kind of applause which greets Most's diatribes. Dr. Mo Glynn, however, made distinctions and ex-
 Planations, He said ...
 killing for political purposes is to be con- Edered as something totally different from
 the crime of murder. want it very distinct ly understood hope my friends of the press will do me the hndnesg to make it very 1 clear-that don't stand here-it isn't worth my while-to justify the assassination of the
 czar. 1t is not my business. However, asn,k k~f happen to read in to-morrow's papers that the czar had been killed, I wouldn't put any
 crape on my hat" .-.-.= But how is killing for political purposes
 totally different from murder Guiteau,
 by his own confession, killed President Garfield for. political purposes. But 1t was l one of the cruelest murders possible. How is man who says that in his judge ment it is proper to kill tyrant, or a man
 who, as the killer thinks, does wrong to &
 thousand or 6 million people, different l from man who, as he thinks, does wrong l to two, or twenty people,? Why is killing l for political purposes to be considered to be less murder than killing for humane purposes If & man may properly decide I for himself who to kill he may do it in one case as well as another, and he may do it 1 whenever ine his judgement the case has l arisen. 1t was tha clear perception of this I truth which led to the remark of Massimo d'A2eglio that "nothlng can excuse assassi- nation, because it. is an act of treachery in lexecution of a sentence pronounced with
 out trial by an incompetent tribunal" Deliberately to justify political assassina- i tiOn without qualification or restriction or lexplanation is to invite anarchy, because it I invites men to judge for themselves when 1 and for what they shall kill other men and If we agree that by common consent our lives shall be at the disposal of other
 men when they feel that they are doing a noble thing in murderlng us, one of the cardinal conditions of civilized society that human life, if taken at all, shall be taken tonly after the most searching ond impar. tial trial, and only with the highest author lity and solemn execution of the state, dis. Eappears. --... ffrom London, fears that he may poisoned, and is inclined to think that his health has I already suffered from such an attempt. Il But, according to the new gospel of assassi nation, why not If killing for political purposes be totally different from murder, ;l and heroic men are to be commended when lt they think it 2. noble and good thing tc i1iH one whom. they hold to be a, political I wrong ldoer, why should not the principle be enforced agaiinisst. Mts PsfnelIr9 And ii
 it be grand and heroic 10 killfa political lEopponeut whom you think worthy of death for his arnisdeeds, how. entirely proper. il must be to throw brickbats af his head when he is trying to poison the public mind T with doctrines that you do not approve, as , in the case of Mr. .OBnien in Canada 1 The ? argument against assassination is that. ii fmakes civilized society impossible To al low that every man may decide for him. | self when other men ought to, be put tc , tdeath is to renounce all the principles up ! ion which society has advanced from bar
 Ebarism. HqrperIs. WeeEIg. g